Luke Edwards is The Telegraph's North East sports reporter.

Are Sunderland better or worse than the statistics suggest?

I’m not sure how good Sunderland are this season. I’m not sure their supporters know and I’m not even sure Martin O’Neill knows. We’ll all know more after their trip to Manchester City on Saturday.

The statistical evidence is inconclusive. Or rather, it can be used to support a variety of arguments depending on how you want to manipulate them.

The 1-0 win over Wigan last weekend was either Sunderland’s first win in 13 games, or it stretched their unbeaten start to the season to seven games in all competitions.

Either way, the three points were much needed. Not only to remind everyone what it felt like to win a game in the Premier League, but to also pull the team up into the mid-table pack.

With the Wear-Tyne derby straight after the next international break, it is worth looking at Sunderland’s start in relation to Newcastle’s.

Newcastle have, according to their manager Alan Pardew, had a good one, yet they are just two points better off than Sunderland having played a game more in the league.

Both clubs have tough games this weekend. Sunderland travel to Manchester City on Saturday, Newcastle entertain United on Sunday. Then comes the derby at the Stadium of Light, the maker and breaker of campaigns.

Only after the next two games will Sunderland be able to provide a true indication of what they are capable of achieving in O’Neill’s first full season in charge.

Regardless of your view of the stats, Sunderland have not been convincing as an attacking unit, despite all the optimism swilling around following the signing of Steven Fletcher and Adam Johnson.

They have scored only five goals in the league in as many games and Fletcher has got all of them.

That offers vindication for O’Neill, who was criticised for spending £12m on a striker who had never scored more than 12 goals in a top flight campaign in England, but it is also a worry.

Johnson has managed just two appearances since his £10m move from Manchester City and was poor against Wigan. His best form will hopefully come with fitness, but O’Neill needs the England international to re-ignite his career on Wearside if his team are going to be successful.

Stephane Sessegnon, Sunderland’s best player by some distance last season, has looked badly out of sorts and Sunderland have lacked a spark in the final third. The Black Cats have been solid and nothing more so far.

As with most O’Neill teams, the defence has been well-disciplined and brilliantly organised, but in all of their league games they have grabbed a goal and tried to hold on to the lead. It has worked once, last weekend, against ten-man Wigan.

O’Neill has been successful at every club he has managed and there is no reason to suspect he will be any different at Sunderland. The strength of my conviction in that is not wavering, but there is much to improve on.

The Northern Irishman will know that better than anyone and this month looks like being a pivotal one.

Take at least four points from their next two games at City and at home to Newcastle and beat Middlesbrough in the last 16 of the Capital One Cup and you suspect Sunderland will emerge as a real force this season.

Fail to beat Newcastle at home and questions will be asked, lose to their bitter rivals and their season will be going off the rails before winter arrives.